New York Attorney General Letitia James late on Oct. 9 issued her reaction to being indicted by Donald Trump’s Department of Justice following the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey and Trump having publicly directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute a number of prominent individuals he has made plain he considers to be his enemies.
James was indicted by a grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, on felony charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The issue surrounds a mortgage application. James’ first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 24 in Norfolk.
In her statement, James said, “This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system. He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York State Attorney General.
“These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost. The president’s actions are a grave violation of our Constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties.
“His decision to fire a United States Attorney who refused to bring charges against me – and replace them with someone who is blindly loyal not to the law, but to the president – is antithetical to the bedrock principles of our country. This is the time for leaders on both sides of the aisle to speak out against this blatant perversion of our system of justice.
“I stand strongly behind my office’s litigation against the Trump Organization. We conducted a two-year investigation based on the facts and evidence – not politics. Judges have upheld the trial court’s finding that Donald Trump, his company, and his two sons are liable for fraud.
“I am a proud woman of faith, and I know that faith and fear cannot share the same space. And so today I am not fearful, I am fearless, and as my faith teaches me, no weapon formed against me shall prosper. We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights. And I will continue to do my job.”
In addition to issuing a written statement, James read the statement in a video that was made public.
